Prey Drive
by Cadet Deming
Summary: Victor Creed gets his first Mutant-hunting assignment. Wacky hijinks ensue. And a few murders and explosions. Horror/Comedy/Psychological Thriller COMPLETED
1. Chapter 1

Prey Drive Chapter 1

By Cadet Deming

I don't own the rights to the X-Men, Marvel and Fox Studios do, so please don't sue. I work in litigation so you wouldn't want to anyhow. Based on X-Men Origins: Wolverine, Rated T for adult language, themes and violence.

**Team X Base, sometime in the 1970's**

He had a grilled chicken sandwich for lunch again. Victor Creed, aka Sabretooth, could smell it on Colonel Stryker's breath. One of the downsides of having enhanced senses was the information overload. It also intensified his hunger at the moment. Of course, to Victor the four food groups were dairy, vegetables, muscle, and marrow.

"I have a proposition for you Victor. Or should I put it more simply, a chance for you to hunt again."

He didn't need enhanced senses to hear the condescension in the Colonel's voice. He always had an air of smugness about him, like he knew a secret no one else did. Little men always seemed to assume that the strong were naturally stupid. Victor thought of how easy it would be to snap his neck with one hand.

"Who do you want me to kill this time?"

"No killing is needed, yet. Just collecting. I'm thinking of growing our little mutant family. And I think you're the best half-man for the job."

"Ain't nothing 'half-man' about me," he sneered, purposely baring his fangs more than needed.

"Relax, it's just a saying. Have I ever told you that out of all of my Team X soldiers, you're my favorite?"

Victor had heard him say that to every member of Team X several times over by now. Yet another side effect of abnormally sharp senses. Stryker wore more manipulations on his sleeve than most military brass had insignias.

"Yeah, you have. But I don't mind you saying it again. By 'growing the family', does that mean you want to start using my stud services?"

"Oh heavens no. I was thinking more along the lines of adopting mutants with new abilities, whether they agree to it or not. I figured a…man…of your many talents would enjoy the thrill of hunting your own kind for a change. Something to sharpen your 'prey drive' so to speak."

Victor was intrigued. Human casualties were too easy. He craved a bigger challenge.

"Who do you have in mind?"

Stryker slid a file across his desk to him.

"As this is your first mutant assignment, I figured I'd give you something small. Its legal name is Tabitha Smith. Aliases are "Boom-Boom" and "Boomer". It's 16 years old and in a juvenile detention center. Most adolescents…that means teenagers…blow things up with pipe bombs or firecrackers. It can create explosions with energy balls from its bare hands. I want that power…for the Team. Your assignment is to capture it alive and transport it to this facility."

Victor looked through the file, his interest piqued.

"I'm in." He got up to leave.

"One more thing before you go," said Stryker.

Victor paused.

"Try to control yourself this time."

"I'll try," he replied, but muttered to himself: "But I won't promise".

**Hicksville, Ohio Juvenile Detention Center for Girls, 4 days later**

Victor hid in the trees of the enclosed courtyard of the Detention Center. There weren't very many, just a token few planted to appease some environmental zoning law, but enough to give him cover.

He scanned the crowd of tough-looking girls for his prize. Most were standing or sitting in packs sharply divided by race. He tried to sniff the air for Tabitha, assuming that as a fellow mutant she would smell "different" enough, but the stench of cheap cigarettes almost choked him.

Finally he saw Tabitha, off in a corner by herself. Alone, like most mutants were. Was she shunned by the other girls because of her "gift", or did she separate herself out from them, knowing her own superiority. Perhaps a little of both. Either way, she lacked the safety of "the herd."

He leapt from one tree to a closer one, breaking a branch in the process. He held still as she quickly looked up and around, but didn't see him.

Tabitha gently pushed the open can of tuna to the stray orange tabby cat.

"Here kitty, kitty. Nice kitty."

The cat crept closer, as if it was stalking the can. It paused and stared at her mistrustfully. She couldn't blame it for not trusting humans. She certainly didn't, not with the way they treated her kind. The feline meowed questioningly, but finally started to eat ravenously.

"Nice kitty. I'm not going to hurt you," she said as she edged closer to it.

Tabitha liked cats. They didn't care if she was "different". If a cat liked you, it was because you earned it.

Tabitha heard a branch snap and looked in its direction. She felt an instinctive sense of fear, but told herself she was being ridiculous. After all, it was broad daylight. Besides, she had her powers, even if she tried not to bring attention to herself by using them in public. She was only allowed one half hour outside, why chicken out with what little freedom she had?

She cautiously scratched the cat behind its ears. It purred, and rubbed its ears against her possessively. Suddenly it caterwauled loudly and bit her, breaking the skin on her hand before running off.

She shouted: "Dammit! What the he…"

Then, Tabitha felt the pain of five sharp nails digging into her shoulder. She looked up and saw a tall man, if that's what he even was, grinning with tiger-sized fangs down at her.

**To be continued**


	2. Chapter 2

Prey Drive Chapter 2

By Cadet Deming

I don't own the rights to X-Men, Marvel and Fox studios do, so please don't sue. I work in litigation so you wouldn't want to anyhow. Thanks to the people who left reviews, they're appreciated. If you want to know who enters the story, please keep reading.-) Based on the Wolverine Origins continuity. Rated T for adult language, adult themes, and violence.

**Hicksville Juvenile Detention Center **

Tabitha screamed in panic and tried to escape the man's grip, but his hand dug into her too deeply. It didn't even feel human.

"Somebody help me!" she cried as she tried to break free.

"No one's gonna help you," the man said, his voice sounding more like a roar.

Tabitha instinctively grasped for her last resort: her powers. She tried to focus and put her hands together to create an energy ball. It was hard to even aim it as the man was behind her. She targeted as best she could, and it exploded against her attacker's chest.

He howled in agony as she fell back, feeling the heat of the blast. Burning embers fell on the nearby trees, igniting them. The fire grew quickly, and she heard screams and crashes echoing in the courtyard. The screams kept sounding farther and farther away.

"You moron. Nobody runs towards a fire," the man sneered.

She looked back and saw with horror that his body was regenerating, growing back to cover the hole made in his chest by the energy burst. He lunged forward and grabbed one of her ankles, pulling her towards him. She felt a sharp pain in her calf, and everything went dark.

**20 Minutes Later**

Victor Creed took the girl he'd been carrying over his shoulder and positioned her in the passenger's side seat of his Buick. She'd been so light; he could barely even feel her. With the tranquilizer he'd given her, he figured she'd be still for a bit longer.

He buckled her in, and attached a special Adamantium metal device over her hands. Stryker had a theory it would neutralize her. Victor wasn't impressed with her abilities so far. She actually made her own kidnapping even easier. The fire she started caused so much chaos he was literally able to walk out the front door.

He used the time to take in her scent, her history. Her hair held the memory of the smoke from the fire, but under that he could smell industrial soap, dried sweat filled with fear, and even a little marijuana. Beneath that he could sense her real signature, and he had been right. She did smell different from a normal human. It was like there was a base note of electricity where her powers came from.

Victor got into the car and drove them until he found a gas station with a pay phone. He dialed Stryker's private number.

"It's me, Creed," he said.

"I'm very disappointed in you, Victor," Stryker answered.

"Disappointed? I already got the girl. One of the easiest jobs I've ever done."

"Have you seen any television today? It's all over the news in Ohio: 'Explosive Escape From Hicksville Juvenile Detention Center For Girls. Growing Mutant Menace Suspected.' Tabitha Smith's picture is posted everywhere as the alleged mastermind."

"So I'll be more discreet in the future. I got the job done, didn't I?"

"The job isn't done until that girl is transmitted to the new facility on Three Mile Island. If you botch this, if you can't even bring me one stupid little teenager, you are out of Team X forever. You wouldn't want me to replace you with Wade now, would you?"

Victor hated his teammate Wade Wilson even more than he hated the collective mass of humanity. Plus, he knew "Out of Team X" meant a bit more than just fired or discharged. Except for his brother Jimmy, but that was a whole different story.

"I can do this. I'll be there as soon as I can. I won't let you down. Over and out."

He hung up the phone and went back to the car. He listened to Tabitha's heart. It was still 20 beats per minute below normal. He used the time to pick up some new supplies at the gas station, and headed back out onto the road.

**Several Hours Later**

Tabitha stirred awake groggily. Everything looked confusingly dark. She realized it was night, and a pair of sunglasses had been placed on her nose. A dull ache reverberated from both the scratch marks on her shoulder and the spot on her leg where she'd been jammed with a needle.

"Where…where am I?" she slurred.

"In the middle of nowhere."

"Who…who are you?" she said, looking over at the frightening man from earlier.

As her eyes adjusted to the dark, she finally got a good look at him. He was tall, and had the build of a firefighter. His hair was cut into mutton chops. He almost would be considered handsome, if not for the presence of claws where a normal person's fingernails would be, and fangs.

"Name's Victor. That's all you need to know for now."

Tabitha tried to remember everything she'd ever heard about surviving in a situation like this: don't panic, cooperate, and don't let them move you to a new location. Your chances of being murdered go up 14,000 times it they take you someplace else. She looked out the window at the mile marker signs moving past them. It was too late for that.

Tabitha briefly calculated her chances of success if she used one of her energy orbs in a moving car and moved to put her hands together, when she felt a clunky metal object attached to her wrists, like armored gloves. She attempted to form one of her energy balls, but her palms became hot, unbearably hot, as the electricity was trapped by the metal.

"I wouldn't try that if I were you, Tabby-cat. That there's Adamantium: the strongest metal on Earth. Your little powers are useless," Victor said.

She felt even more nervous when she realized he knew her name. He knew what she was. He planned this.

"Is this the part where I'm supposed to start crying and begging for my life and saying 'I'll do anything you want' and 'My father has money,'" she asked.

"If your father had money, you wouldn't have been in Juvie."

"My father had plenty of money. It just…wasn't his."

"I know. He skipped bail and left you to rot. Real nice guy. I bet you're just teeming with Daddy Issues," he sneered, flashing those teeth.

"How do you know so much about me? What do you want?"

"It's not what I want. It's what I need."

"You didn't set stuff on fire, practice cruelty to animals, and wet the bed as a child, did you?"She asked.

"What?!"

"The serial killer trifecta. Are you a serial killer?"

He laughed, flashing his fangs again.

"No. I prefer cruelty to people. Animals can't beg for mercy. I was litter box trained. And I'm not a serial killer. I guess you could call me 'Slay for Pay.'"

"You're a mercenary?" she inquired.

"Kinda. Of course the U.S. Government will disavow any of my actions."

"What does the government want with me? Who hired you?"

Victor roared at her like a lion. It shook the whole car.

"You're asking too many questions," he said.

"I'm sorry, but if you were in my position, wouldn't you?"

"If I was ever as pathetic and weak as you are, I'd kill myself," he said.

"I'm sorry. I tend to babble when I'm nervous. And you're really scary. You're the most terrifying, intimidating…man…mutant…weretiger…whatever you are. Hey are you an endangered species?"

"If you don't shut up, I'm going to gag you and lock you in the trunk."

Tabitha silenced herself. She lay back in the seat and watched as night turned to daylight. She drifted in and out of sleep. It was the only escape she had.

As the day grew brighter, she studied Victor as the miles melted past them. She saw him frown, staring at something in the rearview mirror. A few minutes later the car was flooded with the glare of flashing red and blue lights. A police car's siren wailed behind them. Victor signaled that he was pulling over.

"If you want to get out of this alive, don't move or say a word to the cop," he said.

He parked the car and quickly covered her handcuffs with a jacket. He slid his hand under her shirt, pressing his claws into her stomach threateningly, as they both waited for the approaching officer.

She felt Victor's nails retract, and he started to stroke her skin with his fingers, slowly. His hand travelled farther and farther. He looked at her with unmistakable lust in his eyes.

"Nice. You work out?" he asked.

The policeman reached them.

**To be continued**


	3. Chapter 3

Prey Drive Chapter 3

By Cadet Deming

I don't own the rights to the X-Men, Marvel and Fox Studios do, so please don't sue. I work in litigation so you wouldn't want to anyhow. Set in X-Men: Origins Continuity. Horror/comedy. Rated T, possibly even T+ for violence, adult language and adult situations. Be warned, this chapter gets violent. Thank you for the reviews, they're appreciated.

Victor Creed rolled down the car window and sized the cop up. He looked young, like he was fresh out of the police academy. His badge spelled out the name: " Pankow".

"Is there a problem officer? I wasn't going too fast was I?" he smiled mock-innocently, careful to conceal his teeth.

Victor had a deep-seated hatred of cops. To him they were military wannabes with an inflated sense of their own importance, who wouldn't last 10 seconds in a real war. No wonder criminals called them "pigs".

"Oh no, no problem at all. We're just checking all cars in the area. There was a breakout at the Girls' Juvenile Center."

"How much danger could little girls be?" Victor asked.

"The leader was one of those mutants. The bitch set the place on fire and 10 people died. She's just 16, but they're saying if she gets caught she'll be tried as an adult and get the chair. If you ask me, every one of those damn mutant freaks should be hunted down and fried."

Creed could hear Tabitha's heartbeat accelerating. The cop's was steady, oblivious to the danger he was in. He thought he was safe because he carried lead.

"Funny, I never asked you," said Victor.

Pankow frowned at him.

"Could I see your license and registration? It's a formality."

"Of course," Creed replied, sheathing his nails as much as he could and flashing him one of the fake ID's Stryker had supplied him with.

Pankow frowned again at the sight of his retracted but still deadly-looking hands.

"I'm going to need to see her ID too," he said.

"Oh my…daughter doesn't have any yet. She's too young."

The cop took his eyes off of Victor for the first time and looked past him to Tabitha. Recognition showed in his face. Pankow unholstered his gun and aimed it at Victor.

"Step out of the car and put your hands on your head. Both of you, now."

Victor stepped out. He put his hands over his head, and extended his talons as far as they would go. He bared his fangs, enjoying the horror on Pankow's face. He took another step towards the cop.

"Don't come any closer. I'll shoot!"

"But officer, what does it matter? You said yourself mutant freaks like me should be hunted down and fried."

Creed took another step forward, daring him, and Pankow fired. He fired again, and again, eyes widening as he saw Victor didn't fall. Creed felt the hits, felt the pain and kept going. Instead of weakening, the pain made him feel more alive, more focused, more animal.

"No! You should be dead!" Pankow screamed as he turned and ran.

Victor liked when they ran. He loved to hunt from behind, but kill from the front. He let Pankow run towards the imaginary safety of his police cruiser for a moment, just to give him false hope, so he could snatch it away again.

Creed leapt to the man, claws extended. He roared. He knocked him to the ground, feeling a satisfying thud as the man's face hit the gravel.

"Ever see the _Deliverance_ movie boy? I want to hear you squeal like a pig," he said.

The man screamed as Victor slashed into his back.

"Come on you little piggy-pig. Squeal for me!"

Pankow was crying now. Victor turned him over and stared into his tear-blurred eyes. He liked to see his victims' expressions at the end.

"Beg me not to kill you," he snarled.

"Please don't. Please don't. Please don't kill me," the man sobbed.

Victor tore the man's throat open, and the crying finally stopped. He dipped his finger in the streaming blood. He tasted it.

"Mmm. O-positive. Universal donor. Good stuff."

A moment later, he felt by instinct that something was wrong. Something was "off". He turned back and saw the car door was still open. Tabitha was gone.

**20 Minutes Later **

Tabitha crashed through the underbrush. She didn't know where she was going. She didn't even know where she was. She just needed to get far away. As her hands were still bound by the Adamantium, she couldn't protect herself from the branches that scratched at her face.

What bothered her more? The act she'd just seen Victor commit, or the fact that she was the cause all those people's deaths, even if it was an accident? Guilt commingled with fear in her mind as she kept trying to keep moving.

"Oh Tabitha! Tabby-cat! Where are you? You can't hide from me. You know I'll find you!" Victor's voice rang through the trees.

What made it even more sinister was that his voice seemed to come from above. She thought about bolting again, but realized it was useless. She could never get away from the Boogeyman.

"Just kill me and get it over with," she screamed and turned around.

Victor came into view, and he actually was above her, in the branches of the trees. He leapt down, his black trench coat flaring out behind him. From a distance, she could see his mouth had trickles of fresh blood dripping from it.

She closed her eyes and said again: "Just kill me and get it over with."

She opened her eyes and he was standing right in front of her.

"Do you really wanna die out here?" he asked.

"Well no, not really. I always hoped I would die of old age in my sleep. Or maybe become a famous model and O.D. on coke at Studio 54."

Victor laughed.

"You're evil," she said.

"I'm not evil. Evil is just something the powers that be invented to keep people in line. I'm just a part of nature."

"More like a force of it. Did you really tear apart that cop," she said, trying to process what happened.

"Well yeah, but it was technically self-defense. You heard what he said. He wanted to see us both fry just because we're mutants. If there's one thing I hate more than cops. It's racist cops. Besides, sounds like you're building up a pretty high body count yourself. 10 people in one day. I'm impressed."

"I've never killed anyone before, even by accident."

"So glad I could help you…pop your cherry," he grinned wolfishly.

He was giving her that look again. She couldn't tell if he wanted to screw her or kill her. Or in his case, both. She thought back to what she learned in a women's self-defense class about trying to prevent rape. They suggested doing something to disgust the attacker. But how do you gross out a guy who drinks human blood?

"I really need to pee. You know, squat to piss," she said.

Victor frowned. "Well now that you say so, I do need to 'mark my territory'."

"I thought you were litter-box trained?"

"It's a guy thing."

"Ah. Testosterone poisoning," she said.

"I had an Army doctor check my testosterone levels. He said I had the highest score ever recorded."

"That actually…explains a lot. I'm not saying it excuses you, but it explains a lot."

"You really need to work on your attitude," he said.

"I'm the one with a bad attitude?"

"Yeah. I'm not your enemy. Humans are. The cops that are after you, they're ready to shoot first and ask questions later. Right now, I'm the closest thing to a friend you've got. I'm the only one protecting you. When I offed that cop, I was defending your honor. It's you and me against the world, just like _Bonnie and Clyde."_

"You'd be a lot more convincing if you didn't have blood and human entrails hanging from your lips," she said.

"Actually I think it's a vocal cord. I avoid the intestines: too unsanitary. Is it out of my teeth yet?" he asked.

"You've still got a little stuck between the left canine and incisor."

"Your left or my left?"

"Your left," she said, as he stuck his claw into his mouth.

"Is it gone?"

"Yeah. I can't believe I'm actually having this conversation."

"It's not that bad. He tasted just like pork," he said.

"I always figured people tasted like chicken."

"Most of the cop is left at the side of the road if you want to try it."

"No. No. No thank you. There are two things I don't do: eat people and date musicians."

"Good thing I'm not a musician. And I don't actually eat people…anymore. I was just fucking with you. But, young girls do kind of taste like fish" he said, winking at her.

"I really, really need to pee," she said quickly.

"So pick a tree."

"Can you undo this Adamantium stuff first?" she pleaded.

Victor stared at her appraisingly. She met his gaze, trying not to flinch. She felt herself swallow.

"I don't know," he said.

"How can I show we can trust each other if you won't let me out of these. Me and you against the world, remember?"

He put his hands against her neck. She sensed that his claws were sheathed, but couldn't forget they were there. He leaned in towards her face.

"I may be wild. But I ain't stupid," he said.

He slid his hands down the length of her. She felt him untying the drawstring of her pants. He put his lips near her ear.

Victor whispered: "If you want out of the cuffs, you gotta earn it."

She felt herself exhaling.

"So pick a fucking tree already," he said, and walked away.

**To Be Continued**


	4. Chapter 4

Prey Drive Chapter 4

By Cadet Deming

I don't own the rights to X-Men or the Wolverine Origins Movie, Marvel and Fox Studios do, so please don't sue. I work in litigation so you wouldn't want to anyhow. Based on movie continuity. Thanks to the people that are leaving reviews, they're encouraging. Rated T for adult language, adult situations, and violence. Horror/Comedy. Takes place in the 1970's

Victor Creed walked Tabitha back to the car. Pankow's body lay on the gravel. Flies were already buzzing around it, and a few turkey vultures were already tearing into the cop's flesh. "The Wild" didn't waste its time.

"So, um, how are we going to get rid of the body? I really don't want to add cop-killer accomplice to my resume," she said, queasiness leaking out in her voice.

"Bury it, not that we have much time, "Creed said, staring at the view of her from behind.

He realized after he said it that he wasn't in such a hurry to complete the mission after all. It's not like Stryker had given him a specific deadline. Plus, with the extra publicity and this added complication, he had the perfect excuses for taking his time with this one.

"Do you have a shovel?" she asked.

"In the trunk," he said.

"You really are a serial killer," she said.

Victor smiled and walked towards the birds. They all stopped eating and looked up at him suspiciously. Animals had a second sense he was dangerous. He hissed at them and they took off squawking.

"Now you're just showing off. Should we switch and take the police car?" she asked.

"No. We're trying to stay under the radar. People pay too much attention to cops to make sure they don't get caught doing what they're not supposed to."

"We could at least siphon off his gas," she said.

He was starting to respect her a little. She seemed to be wising up quickly. Or tightening the noose on her own neck, depending on how things played out.

"Good idea, I only get 10 miles to the gallon," he said.

"You should get one of those new Japanese cars. They get better fuel efficiency."

"Hmmpf. A car made in Japan. It'll never catch on," he said.

Victor quickly buried the cop, stole the gas and hid the patrol car. They took off on the road again. The sun was getting lower and lower in the sky.

"So, um, I don't think anyone else is going to buy us as father and daughter. You're in your what, late 30's?" she said.

"Add a century, give or take a few years," he replied.

"Can I have your plastic surgeon, because you look great for your age? Are you a vampire? You drink blood, have pointy teeth, and wear all black…not that there's anything wrong with that. It's a really good look for you."

Victor was on the brink of gagging her and putting her in the trunk again, but he latched on to how she said he looked good.

"I'm not a vampire. I'm immortal from my mutation. Everything grows back exactly the way it was."

"Your powers are so much cooler than mine. All I can do is blow stuff up. I'm sure if I were a 14 year old boy that would seem great. So…um…where did you go to college?"

"Do I seem like a college boy to you?" he asked.

"Actually, no. You do seem really 'wilderness smart' though."

"I'm a regular fucking Boy Scout," Creed said sarcastically.

"So do you have any family members that are mutants too? They say it runs in families, like cancer."

"I have a half-brother," Victor replied, recent memories coming back.

"Is he a giant cat too?" she asked.

"No, a Wolverine. He's a dick."

"A bigger dick than you are? How is that even possible?" she said.

"Do you have a death wish, little girl!?" Victor roared at her. He felt his claws extending.

"I'm sorry. I didn't know it was a sensitive subject for you. You don't come across as the sensitive type. And my mouth is sometimes faster than my brain."

"Sometimes?" he said with sarcasm.

"I'm calling your bluff. I know you have orders not to kill me. If not you would have done it by now, probably with relish," she said.

"And ketchup with onion on the side," he said, winking at her.

"I'm getting hungry now for normal food," she said.

"Yeah. Me too," he said.

"But didn't you just eat?" she asked.

"I have the, what do they call it, metabolism of a hummingbird. I burn through everything."

"Your powers are so much cooler than mine," she said.

"The first town we get to that has a good restaurant, we'll stop. I need to get out of this damn car anyhow," he said.

"Ok. Do you have any weed?" she asked.

"No, I'm immune. Drugs don't have any effect on me. I've never even been drunk," he said.

"For once, I don't envy your powers. No wonder you seem so angry. What do you do to chill out?"

"I hunt. And I fuck the pain away."

He stole a side glance at her, to gauge her reaction. She blushed and quickly turned away, obviously pretending to look out the window. He didn't smell fear though. Nervousness, but not fear. Her heartbeat increased.

"So um, could we listen to the radio?" she said.

"The radio's been on the entire time. I just had it on low because my senses are so strong," he said.

He extended his claws and used one fingernail to adjust the volume. "Superstar" by The Carpenters came out from the car's speakers. He still kept it low enough to hear Tabitha's heartbeat.

"Funny, I wouldn't have taken you for a Carpenters fan," she said.

"I'm not. There's nothing else on," he said.

She finally was silent listening to the music. At first he was relieved by the end of her constant questions. Then he realized he kind of missed them. Anything was better than listening to The Carpenters.

**An hour and a half later**

Victor parked the car in an empty space in front of a diner. He tied a handkerchief over Tabitha's hair and put sunglasses back on her. It wasn't much of a disguise, but Tabitha was so hungry by then she was ready to take the risk, not that she had much choice in the matter. She didn't think it was a good idea to get between Victor and food.

"If we're trying to be under the radar, you need to get rid of these," she said, raising her hands and clinking the Adamantium handcuffs.

"I don't know if you've earned it yet. Cover it with a purse or something," Victor said.

"Great. Do you have a giant Gucci purse the size of a shopping bag in the trunk that I never let out of my hands through the entire meal? That won't draw any attention. Ooh, are those pancakes you smell now? Pancakes with butter that melts in your mouth and homemade maple syrup. Come on, the sooner you take these off, the sooner we can go inside. I won't run away."

Victor growled at her, baring his fangs.

"You're going to have to beg me for it," he said.

"Fine. Pleeeeease?"

"Please what?"

"Please…Master?"

"Ok. But I'm keeping you as close to me as possible. And if you try anything, I'll gut you like a fish."

Victor leaned over and opened the dashboard right in front of her. He took a key out and unlocked the Adamantium. He hid it under his trench coat.

"Wait, the key was right in front of me the entire time," she said.

"There's no place like home Dorothy," he said, smirking wickedly as he grabbed her by the wrist and dragged her out of the car.

They entered and waited for the hostess to greet them. Victor held on to her hand tightly with one hand. They were so close she heard his stomach growl. At least, she thought it was his stomach. It was hard to tell with him.

The hostess smiled brightly and said: "Welcome to Finnegan's Diner. Do you two lovebirds want smoking or non-smoking?"

"Non. And can we have a private booth?" said Victor.

"Right this way," she said as she led them to a corner booth in the back.

He scooted in next to Tabitha, never taking his hand off of her. They both looked at the menu. The waiter approached them.

The waiter started to say: "Hello. Welcome to Finnegan's. Our specials for the day are…"

"Just bring me four all egg white omelet's with tomatoes and broccoli, 3 glasses of orange juice, and a side of buckwheat pancakes with butter and maple syrup. And make it fast, I'm starving" Victor interrupted.

"Will that be…all?" the waiter asked.

"Um, I'll have the buckwheat pancakes, but with blueberries please. And a coffee with cream and sugar please," Tabitha said.

"Coming right up," the waiter said, giving a skeptical glance to Victor's nails as he collected the menus and walked away.

"You really need to work on your people skills, Vic," Tabitha said.

"Why should I? I don't need people skills. And don't call me Vic, I hate that nickname."

"Do you have a nickname?" she asked.

"My call-sign is Sabertooth."

"It fits."

Ten minutes later the food arrived. They both devoured it as fast as they could. She felt like she hadn't eaten in a week.

She was finishing up her coffee when she heard Victor growl again. He was staring at the entrance to the diner. Then she saw what he was looking at: four cops.

**To Be Continued **


	5. Chapter 5

Prey Drive Chapter 5

By Cadet Deming

I don't own the rights to X-Men or the Wolverine Origins Movie, Marvel and Fox Studios do, so please don't sue. I work in litigation so you wouldn't want to anyhow. Based on movie continuity. Thanks to the people that are leaving reviews, they're encouraging. Rated T for adult language, adult situations, and violence. Horror/Comedy. Takes place in the 1970's

**One Minute Later**

Tabitha hoped the cops wouldn't notice them. As Murphy's Law would have it, the hostess led them past their table. Three of the cops turned and give Victor and her dirty looks.

She instinctively grabbed his knee, and murmured, "I think we'd better go now."

One of the cops said loudly: "Do we have a vagrant problem here?"

He approached them, with his friends snickering behind him. His stride was arrogant. She could feel Victor stiffening in response.

"Were you two hobos looking to dine and dash? And in front of an officer of the law, the nerve."

"We were about to pay. And we're not homeless," said Victor standing up to his full height behind the table.

The two glared at each other in a parody of animals facing off over territory.

"Could've fooled me. You both smell like you haven't showered in 2 months, you've got the dirty nails of a hobo, and your girl looks like a junkie with sunglasses on inside at dusk. I've got probable cause to arrest you for vagrancy. Plus you look like one of those mutants."

"For the record, I last showered a few days ago. What are you going to do? Book me for being a mutant?" Victor sneered.

"Look we were just leaving. We'll go quietly," she said.

"Hey they didn't pay," interjected the waiter.

"Enough probable cause for me. You're both under arrest for theft."

"Oh you are so not getting a tip," Tabitha said to the waiter.

"You're gonna have to catch us first," said Victor.

With reflexes so quick he seemed to move in fast-forward, he threw the table into the cops, knocking them over. She heard screaming from all over the diner. Victor grabbed her and she felt herself falling backwards. Glass shattered all around her, and they both tumbled through a broken window. She felt a few shards prick her skin, but he had actually protected her, taking the brunt of the impact himself.

"If you're gonna use your powers, you better start doing it now," he grunted.

She heard the bullets as the cops started to fire at them. Victor came between her and the guns, but she knew he couldn't hold them off forever.

"I don't know…I can't," she said.

"Do it!" he screamed.

She focused, creating a ball in her hands. She felt its warmth, its heat, and most importantly its power. She aimed, and propelled it through the open window. She heard the gunfire stop briefly, and then everything exploded.

The diner went up in flames. She smelled burning rubber and smoke. She breathed in ashes and choked a little.

"Yeeeee-hawwwwww! See your powers are pretty cool after all!" said Victor, grinning from ear to ear.

He seemed giddy.

"You think this is fun?" she asked.

"I haven't seen an explosion like that since my second tour in 'Nam."

Victor stretched like a cat and wiped off the shards of glass that were sticking to his now torn trench coat.

"There were innocent people in there" she said.

"I didn't see any of them coming to our aid. As much as I'd love to stay and watch the barbecue, we got to get out of here before reinforcements come."

"Um, I think I blew up your car. I don't know my own strength sometimes."

"Normally I'd rip your throat open for that, but I'll forgive you," he said.

"Are there any cars parked farther away we can hotwire?" she asked.

He flashed his claws out and said: "I'm not the right size for wire-work."

"I meant me. What do you think I was in Juvie for?"

He smiled. "Embracing your inner bad girl. I like that."

They came to a Toyota that had been parked far enough away to avoid the blast.

"Oh look, a Japanese car!" she said.

"Fuck you Tabby," he said, as he smashed his hand through the driver's side window.

He unlocked the door and opened it. She saw his arm was torn up, but already starting to regenerate.

"Are you like a starfish, where if someone cuts off your arm, it'll grow back?" she asked.

"I never tried it. Even I have limits."

She quickly hotwired the car and they took off again. They crossed over the state border.

"The cop was right about one thing. We both need to shower. And I need to sleep," he said.

**Several Hours Later, at the Sandy Tree Motel **

Victor Creed walked out to a pay phone in the parking lot of the sleazy motel he'd gotten them for the night. Tabitha was in the shower. He could have made the call from inside the room, but figured it would be safer to use this one. He still kept an eye on the door to their room, to make sure she didn't escape.

Victor dialed Stryker. He was hoping he hadn't seen any news yet about the explosion at the diner. He didn't want Stryker to make the connection and realize Tabitha was out of the Adamantium cuffs. It didn't seem to be a good idea for his boss to know about everything.

"It's Creed," he said.

"Where the hell are you? Agent Zero has already bagged two new marks for me, and Wade bagged four in the same period of time!"

Did he know? Was he testing him, to see if he'd volunteer any information?

"Quality over quantity. I'm almost to New York. What exactly are you planning to do with all these mutants, Sir?"

"You know better than to question orders."

"I ain't questioning. I'm just curious is all."

"You know what curiosity did to the cat, Victor. Why do you care?"

"Well, I got a little rough with this one; I just wanted to make sure you didn't need them back scratch-free, if you know what I mean."

Stryker laughed evilly on the other end of the line and replied: "Oh don't worry, I'll let you keep playing with your new toy, if her condition holds up, that is. I'll see you soon. Over and out."

Victor hung up the phone. Then he ripped it from its hinges and threw it on the ground.

**To Be Continued**


	6. Chapter 6

Prey Drive Chapter 6

By Cadet Deming

I don't own the rights to X-Men or the Wolverine Origins Movie, Marvel and Fox Studios do, so please don't sue. I work in litigation so you wouldn't want to anyhow. Based on movie continuity. Thanks to the people that are leaving reviews, they're encouraging. Rated T for adult language, sexual situations, and violence. Horror/Comedy. Takes place in the 1970's

**20 Minutes Later, In the Hotel Room**

Tabitha Smith carefully stepped out of the shower. She had washed her clothes in the sink and they were still drying out. The only things she had to wear in the meantime were the motel's cheap, scratchy towels. She thought of Victor, probably lying in wait outside the door, and added three more towels to cover herself.

As she opened the door, she saw him lying on the bed. He appeared to be sleeping, or at least "cat-napping". He looked peaceful, the most peaceful she'd ever seen him. Then again, that wasn't saying much. His mouth was slightly open and she could see the tips of his fangs.

Tabitha gingerly sat down on the bed, and his eyes flew open. He sat up astonishingly quickly. He wasn't wearing anything besides briefs and his dog tags.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to wake you up," she said.

"It's OK. I wake up from the sound of a pin dropping, literally. And I can get by on 20 minutes at a time. Military training."

"From Vietnam?"

"Nam, and World War 2, World War 1, and the Civil War. Jimmy and I sat out Korea. We needed a break."

Tabitha assumed Jimmy was his brother, but didn't think it was a good idea to ask.

"Which was your favorite?" she asked.

"I liked the Civil. The combat felt more 'intimate'. And it was the only one where I didn't have to learn another language. The food was bad though. Hamburgers weren't invented yet."

She noticed when he said "intimate" he looked more intently at her.

"Wait, something's wrong. You're acting weird," she said.

He stiffened immediately. His eyes got wider. She saw his muscles tense up.

"What do you mean? I never act normal," he said.

"You're not insulting me, threatening to eviscerate me, or threatening to kill me. It just feels…kind of strange," she replied.

Victor's posture relaxed.

"I'm not always in a bad mood. I just needed to shower and catch some sleep. Maybe you're just starting to grow on me."

He smiled at her, and he looked like he was trying to cover his teeth. She started to feel hot and quickly jumped up.

"Hey, we should catch the news and see if we're on it," she said.

She walked to the TV and turned it on, flipping through the channels.

"Seven channels and nothing on," she said.

"Keep it," Victor said, as an evening news show filled the screen.

She sat back down on the bed and watched.

The reporter with over sprayed hair and blue eye shadow announced: "Today's leading story is the massacre that occurred today at Finnegan's Diner in Claremont. 15 people, including 4 police officers were killed in what is being described as the greatest mutant terrorist act on U.S. soil. Reports of a mutant that resembled a giant bear surfaced before the entire location exploded in flames."

Victor roared: "Do I look like a goddamn bear? Get my species right! And giant…do I look fat?"

"Well actually, with the short temper and the hairy muttonchops and the claws you kind of do seem 'bearish'. But your body looks great, really muscle-y. And, how am I a terrorist? I'm so apolitical I don't even vote in student elections," she said.

"Change the station," he ordered.

"Oh, look Saturday Night Live is on," she said, switching channels.

They both watched in silence at a skit involving Jim Belushi in a giant bee costume. She sensed Victor edging closer to her. He stretched his arms in the classic "boy am I tired" move and reached out to touch her shoulder.

"Fingernails! Fingernails! Ow!" she said quickly, as he scratched her with his claws.

"Sorry. I didn't know they were out," he said.

They both went back to sitting, the tension tightening. The skit had changed to something with Dan Akyroyd in a cone head, but she wasn't really paying attention. She doubted he was either.

Tabitha felt scared and excited all at once. She could have run, but knew that was pointless. She found herself wanting to give in, to stop fighting the inevitable.

Victor moved in behind her. She felt like she was being stalked, but guessed he liked it that way. He ran his fingertips through her hair, claws sheathed. He put his hand on the back of her neck. She leaned forward submissively and she heard him sigh. She knew he liked it that way. He kissed the back of her neck. She felt his breath, his lips, and his tongue.

He groaned with his voice filled with need: "I've wanted to taste you since I met you, even before."

She felt him bite the back of her neck. It was painful, but gentle. She moaned.

"You really are a vampire," she gasped.

"Am I hurting you," he asked, his voice sounding increasingly animalistic, hungry.

"Do you want to?" she whispered.

"Part of me does and part of me doesn't." he said.

"I'll do whatever you want," she said.

"I want to fuck the pain away."

For the next few hours, that was all they did.

**To Be Continued **


	7. Chapter 7

Prey Drive Chapter 7

By Cadet Deming

I don't own the rights to X-Men or the Wolverine Origins Movie, Marvel and Fox Studios do, so please don't sue. I work in litigation so you wouldn't want to anyhow. Based on movie continuity. Thanks to the people that are leaving reviews, they're encouraging. Rated T for adult language, adult situations, and violence. Horror/Comedy. Takes place in the 1970's

**The Next Morning **

Victor Creed was purring. It wasn't something he did very often. Combined with the sound of him brushing his fangs, it sounded rather odd. If he had been the introspective type, he might have pondered how strange it was that he kept his teeth impeccably clean, but his claws dirty.

"Oh, you do have a reflection after all," Tabby said as she entered the bathroom next to him.

"Why wouldn't I?"

"Just testing my vampire theory," she said, grinning.

She jumped up on the side of the sink and sat on it. Her feet swung slightly in the air, like a cat's tail. He could see marks on her from last night like a tattoo, a tattoo of his ownership.

"What time do we have to check out?" she asked.

"Noon, but I think this place rents by the hour if you know what I mean," he said, winking arrogantly at her as he started to floss one of his oversize canines.

"A week would be nice, but maybe a higher class place, like The Plaza or The Carlyle or a YMCA next to a bus station," she said.

"I'm almost out of money. We got to get back on the road," he said.

"Uh…yeah. You never told me where you're ordered to be going."

"To the Island of Misfit Mutant Toys," he said sarcastically.

"Is it next to Oahu? Seriously, what's going to happen to me?"

"It's classified information."

"Is that French Canadian for you don't know either?"

"I'm from the North-Western Territory. And I hate French Canadians. All of the attitude of France, none of the scenery."

"Funny, you want people to think you're this dangerous bad-ass motherfucker, but then you turn around and follow orders like a dog."

He smelled it first. Her hands were getting hotter. He had never put the Adamantium cuffs back on, although he still had them back in his trench coat pocket. It wouldn't surprise him if she used her powers. She'd gotten a lot more confident since he first met her.

"I need a paycheck as much as the next mutant. And the guy I work for, Stryker, he likes our kind. His son is a mutant."

Creed neglected to tell her Stryker also kept his mutant son cryogenically frozen in a block of ice. He started to ponder what Stryker really did have planned for her. He thought of Tabitha as his, and knew the moment he delivered her over he would lose that.

"If his intentions are so pure, why did he send you of all people to kidnap me? Why not just use a college recruiter?"

"Maybe he didn't think you could afford the tuition. And he doesn't know you like I do. He couldn't have guessed how…submissive…you turned out to be," he leered, strategically grabbing her wrists so she couldn't aim at him.

"Speaking of submissive, what if you stopped following this guy Stryker's orders? What if we didn't go back? What if you and I really acted like _Bonnie and Clyde_ and went on a crime spree? No rules, no laws, no orders, just you and me completely free. You can kill more cops and I could blow up banks for money."

Even though he didn't trust Stryker, he loved the sense of purpose from his job as an assassin and the relative free reign provided by being a member of Team X. It was the only place he didn't feel like a misfit. He didn't think he was in love with her. They'd only known each other for a few days. She was just prey, just another mark; all he needed to do was drive her to his destination. His boss already promised he could have access to Tabby. If he turned her in he could have his cake and eat it too. If she hated him for it, she wouldn't have the power to do anything anyhow.

It was a tempting offer though. As much as he craved the excitement of his job, he resented having to always follow directions and Stryker's control. Plus he missed having a sidekick. He and Jimmy had roamed together for almost a century. It was nice having someone by his side, weaker, but still powerful. In some ways she made a better companion. She was easier to control, and she 'put out.'

But, was she really that much easier to control? For all he knew she was faking her "Stockholm Syndrome," getting him to let his guard down so she could escape, and he would be abandoned again. After Jimmy left, he never wanted to be left behind again. He remembered the famous open-ending of the story: "The Lady or the Tiger." The lady or the tiger indeed.

"You're right. I won't take you in. It's you and me against the world," he grinned, crocodile teeth glinting in the light.

**Several Hours Later, on the Road**

Tabitha was happy. For the first time in her life, she felt free. Even better, she was in love. At least she thought she was. It was such a new feeling for her.

In a strange way, this all felt familiar. She'd spent a few years on the run with her father, so she was used to the pattern, a partnership with an older father figure of sorts. Granted Victor was a lot older, and he didn't exactly act fatherly.

He kept looking over at her. She smiled and he smiled back, with a raised eyebrow. It was funny how afraid of him she'd been when she first met him. He'd been so terrifying and monstrous, and now he reminded her of one of her favorite cats. So much for first impressions. _Don't they say to always trust your first impression?_

"What's your last name?" she asked.

Funny how after everything they'd been through together, he never volunteered that information. _How much did she really know about him? _

"Creed," he replied.

"Victor Creed. Sounds like a soap opera character," she said. _One of the villains._

"Because 'Smith' is so original," he said.

"Well, I'm a 'Manciewicz' on my mother's side. My father got custody though."

_Her father got custody because her mother was afraid of her, but her father wanted to use her gift. Like this guy Stryker. What did he want from mutants? Why did Victor Creed start working for him, and did he really stop, stop for her?_

"You're Jewish? Explains your sense of humor. And how neurotic you are," he said.

"That's just a stereotype. Like all mutants are psychotic".

_Don't psychopaths have no regard for human life? Don't they specialize in being charming? Like being able to lure their victims into a false sense of security before they…pounce? _

She stared out the window. Something was familiar about it. The landscape had changed, but there was something nagging at her.

Tabitha's mouth was faster than her brain. If it wasn't she may have had a last chance. When she was nervous, she didn't censor herself.

"Victor, if you're not taking me to Stryker, why are we still going East?" she asked.

"I was wondering how long it'd be until you caught on," he said.

Before she had a chance to react and use her powers, she felt the pain. The same pain as when he'd first pricked her with the tranquilizer. Everything went black.

**To Be Continued**


	8. Chapter 8

Prey Drive

By Cadet Deming

I don't own the rights to X-Men or the Wolverine Origins Movie, Marvel and Fox Studios do, so please don't sue. I work in litigation so you wouldn't want to anyhow. Based on movie continuity. Thanks again to the people that are leaving reviews, they're encouraging. (If Chapter 6 was shorter, it's because I'm writing A "T" as opposed to an "M" story) Rated T for adult language, adult situations, and violence. Horror/Comedy. Takes place in the 1970's

**A Boatyard, Somewhere in New York State**

Victor Creed dragged Tabitha through the parking lot of what looked like a marina. He'd put the Adamantium cuffs back on her, and they felt tighter this time. She didn't know who she hated more: him or herself for being so stupid as to trust him.

"You should have just kept me bound and gagged in the trunk the whole time. You shouldn't have pretended like you…like you actually cared," she said.

"I wouldn't have had as much fun though. And I do care; I just care about myself a hell of a lot more. It's your own fault. You shouldn't have been so damn gullible," he sneered.

"I'm 16 years old. I'm supposed to be naïve. And that makes you, what, a child molester? Do you know what they do in prison to guys like you?"

"Funny, you didn't seem so unwilling last night," he said arrogantly, leading her towards docks of seemingly endless boats.

"You still don't have to do this. There has to be some part of you that doesn't want to do this," she said, not wanting to beg, not wanting to break down and plead.

"Ever hear the story of the frog and the scorpion? A scorpion meets a frog and asks him to swim them across a river. The frog says: 'But, you'll sting me. You're a scorpion.' The scorpion says: 'I promise I won't. If I sting you we'll both drown.' So the frog takes the scorpion on its back and starts to swim across the water. The scorpion stings the frog. The frog says: 'But you promised you wouldn't!' The scorpion says: 'Look bitch, you knew I was a scorpion. It's my nature.' Of course, in the original story the scorpion didn't say 'bitch'. I just had to add something to keep my badass factor up to balance out the fact that I'm telling a kids' story with talking animals," Victor said.

"But if they both drown, what's the point?" she asked.

"If you want Stryker to let you live another week, you're gonna have to learn to keep your mouth shut," he said.

"Well, lookie what we have here. I tawt I saw a puddy-tat," an unfamiliar man's voice rang out.

The man stepped out onto the dock in front of them. He was young, looking to be in his mid-twenties. He had a cleft chin and was surprisingly handsome, except his eyes had the same battle-hardened glare Victor's did.

"Your Sylvester the Cat impression still sucks Wade. Did Stryker send you to annoy me on purpose?" Victor said. She could tell there was no love lost between them.

"You should hear my Barbra Streisand impression. He said he sent me because I'm the best driver in the group. But yeah, sending me to annoy you for taking so long does sound like typical Colonel Stryker passive-aggressive B.S.. Now hurry up. I don't want to miss Charlie's Angels…with the sound off," Wade said.

"Um, before I get in the boat, is Wade a scorpion or a frog?" Tabby asked.

"Actually, I'm a Gemini. Who's the mark? She looks like she's 12. Why do you get sent after teenagers and I get stuck bringing in teleporters. Do you know how fucking hard it is to catch a teleporter?" Wade said.

"She's 16. Her name's Tabitha."

"What's her power?" Wade asked.

"She blows shit up," Victor replied laconically.

"Dude that is like, the coolest power ever! Hey did you ever stop to think about why all these freaky abilities people are starting to develop are so violent and military-industrial-complex-like? You never hear about a mutant with the ability to cause world peace or feed the starving. Oh what am I saying, you never stop to think about anything, do you?" Wade said.

"Just drive us in the goddamn boat," Victor growled.

**45 Minutes Later, Stryker's Three Mile Island Facility**

Victor took Tabby into Colonel Stryker's office. His boss looked her over from head to toe, his gaze seeming to linger on the stray bruises and bite marks on her body. He gave Victor a conspirational wink.

"Nice work. I was getting concerned over how long things were taking, and the news reports." Stryker said.

"I'll be faster and more…discreet…next time," Victor replied.

"Good boy. I'll up your pay grade, with a bonus for each mark bagged and tagged."

"I'm not a thing. I'm a human being with civil rights. Stop talking about me like I'm not here," Tabitha said.

"Mutants like you aren't human, little girl. The only rights you have are what I choose to give you," Stryker said.

"If you hate mutants so much, why do you surround yourself with us?" she asked.

"I don't hate your species. I just think you're dangerous and need to be controlled."

"Do you think that about your son? Or do you just like to watch?" she challenged.

"I think we've had enough for today," Victor said, grabbing her.

He was trying to warn her to be silent. He knew she was ticking his boss off. She recoiled from his touch.

"Don't touch me Victor. I'm never letting you touch me again," she said.

Stryker raised a suspicious eyebrow at Creed.

"You've got a mouth on you, little girl. I'm going to love ruining that," the Colonel said.

He pressed a button on an intercom and spoke into it: "Doctor, Hostile 17 is here. Take it away for experimentation. Start with the wrists. I have a theory on that. Plus have a few blowtorchs handy. I'd like to test its heat sensitivity."

Stryker wasn't looking at Tabitha when he gave his directives. He was staring directly at Creed. He knew he was being tested, and coldly matched his boss's gaze.

The doors opened and a doctor and some guards came in to take Tabby away.

"No! No! You can't do this! You can't. I'm still a person. Victor I hate you! I hate you! I wish I'd never met you!" she sobbed, screaming as she was led away.

Victor didn't look at her. He couldn't. He kept staring straight ahead at the Colonel.

"Interesting. Is there something you're not telling me? How did she know about my son Jason? Information is a commodity I don't want volunteered to the enemy."

Victor paused, trying to answer evenly, betraying nothing.

"I only told her about Jason to butter her up to come quietly to the Island. She had one of those…what do they call it...Stockholm Syndromes on me that I used. I just didn't want to broadcast it because I didn't want anyone to think I was some kind of a pedophile, you know how it is."

Stryker stared at him appraisingly. Did he buy it? Suddenly he started laughing.

"Is that all? Hey I don't care what my soldiers do, just so long as I don't get caught. Believe me, I completely understand."

"Good," Victor replied.

"Since you like them young, I have the perfect job for you. Another blonde girl. It may be a little harder since she's not white trash like this last one. Her name is Emma. Emma Frost."

**To Be Continued**


	9. Chapter 9

Prey Drive Final Chapter

By Cadet Deming

I don't own the rights to X-Men or the Wolverine Origins Movie, Marvel and Fox Studios do, so please don't sue. I work in litigation so you wouldn't want to anyhow. Based on movie continuity. Thanks so much again to the people that left reviews, they're much appreciated. Rated T for adult language, adult situations, and violence. Horror/Comedy. Takes place in the 1970's

**Stryker's Prison Cells, Three Mile Island**

There were 365 vertical bars in Tabitha Smith's cage. There were also 472 horizontal bars. She knew because she counted them 3,782 times. She had always hated math.

It was worse than being in Juvie. At least there she had a bed, daily shower, library privileges, and access to sunlight. She may have been treated like a criminal, but she was still treated like a person, A person with an end in sight. If the experiments here didn't kill her, boredom would.

Although she never considered herself an extrovert, she did miss having someone to talk to. The cages were starting to fill up here and there with other captured mutants, but none were placed closely to her. She could always tell if there was a new arrival by the screaming.

She hadn't seen Victor since the day he handed her over to Stryker. In a way, that may have been better as she knew how depraved he was capable of being. Perhaps he'd lost interest. Adrenaline junkies weren't known for their attention spans.

Finally, a familiar voice rang near her cage.

"Dude, stop struggling or I'm going to drop you on one of your heads. That is an extra head, isn't it? Because otherwise, man do you have problems," Wade Collins said.

"Wade, is that you?" she called out.

He came into view with a vaguely humanoid form in a body bag draped over his shoulder. From his previous description, she was glad the mutant was covered. Collins looked gaunter than the last time she saw him, like he was healthy on the surface but sick underneath.

"Tamara, right? Victor's bag and tag?"

"Um, no it's Tabitha."

"Close enough. Ooh, an audience! I'll be back in a sec."

She heard the rusty shriek of hinges as a cell door was opened. Then she heard a sickening thump and a squeal. Wade came back to her carrying the empty body bag. It was covered with blood and a green jelly-like substance.

"So, uh how have you been?" she asked.

"Cancer. The 'Big C'. It's not that I didn't see it coming, I mean, both my parents had it. And the doctors are being "cautiously optimistic". That's doctor speak for: 'We know you're gonna die but we'll drag things out for as long as possible so we can milk you for as much money as we can, even your children's money.' I'm not even sure if I have any kids. She said he was mine, but you know how some women will try to pin it on any guy. And all the doctor's co-payments for radiation and medication I can't even pronounce are for guesses, for shots in the dark on what may help me live to be 30, and it doesn't matter how many miles I run or how much weight I can press or how many mutants I can catch or how many times they cut another tumor out before it metastasizes I can't get rid of it. It's not that I'm bitter or anything because…well yeah I'm bitter. I'm licking the salt and sucking the 110 proof Jose Cuervo Tequila lemons bitter. Oh sorry, am I monologuing too much?"

"No it's understandable. Maybe you can at least get access to some good medication. Got any weed?" she asked.

"Got any money?"

"I didn't smuggle any in, sorry,"

"Considering what bodily cavities people have to use to smuggle things in, I probably wouldn't have wanted to touch it if you did. Come on, give me something to work with," he replied.

She figured if he was venting to her, he probably had no one else to vent to. He probably felt as isolated as she was. Tabitha liked Wade. She wondered if things would have turned out differently if he had been the one sent to capture her.

"I'll be your prison bitch," she said mock-brightly.

"I'm low, but I'm not that low. On second thought, how soon till you turn 18?"

"A year and 2 months."

"I'm not Roman Polanski," he said.

"I'll edit your screenplay," she said.

"How did you know I have a screenplay?"

"If you ask 10 people from L.A., how their screenplay is coming along, 9 can answer you. You have a little bit of a Southern California accent."

"I did spend 8 years in Long Beach" he said.

"How did you get recruited to capture your own kind?" she asked.

"I'm not a mutant. I'm a regular guy, but Stryker offered for me to join Team X and undergo experimental enhancement of human reflexes, in exchange for experimental cancer treatments. He has a hard time recruiting mutants. I guess he's better at the stick than the carrot approach."

"Interesting. So…uh…has Victor said anything about me?" she asked.

Wade frowned at her.

"What is up with chicks, man? Even the mutant ones. You blow off the nice guys and always fall for the bad boy types."

"I guess I just have daddy issues," she replied.

"Stryker's your daddy now. Mine too," Wade said.

**A Highway Outside of Toronto, Canada **

Victor Creed drove his latest captive down the highway. Emma Frost was an even easier capture than his last. She lay sleeping in the passenger side of his new car. It was Japanese.

Emma was beautiful, in a Homecoming Queen kind of a way. While Tabby had been a dirty blonde, Emma's locks were a silvery-platinum blonde. It smelled like overpriced shampoo and restricted country clubs. She reminded him of all the upper-class girls who refused to give him the time of day when he was a mere gamekeeper's son or soldier. The past didn't matter. She was his now.

Stryker had only been partially right about Creed. He found younger women intoxicating, but it was more accurate to say he didn't care about their ages. When he came of age in the last century, people were lucky to live to 27. To him, an alluring female was still alluring, whether she was 17 or 37.

Victor had never been a romantic, in any decade. His near-immortality discouraged him from forming any close attachments. What was love, anyhow? Just exaggerating the difference between one woman and another.

"Where am I?" Emma asked, stirring awake.

Victor smiled. He felt his claws growing against the steering wheel. A sense of déjà vu overtook him.

"On the road," he replied.

"Who are you," she asked.

"Victor, in more ways than one," he said.

"My father has money. My father has money and he will sue your ass off! Do you know who I am. Do you have any idea who I am?!" Emma screamed.

"Of course I know who you are. And all the money in the world isn't going to save you now."

"Don't even think of touching me. Oh my God, what kind of a car is this? Is this vinyl? You're making me sit on a vinyl seat! When Buffy St. Claire at Hodgkins was kidnapped, her ransomers took her in a Cadillac limousine."

"If her name was Buffy St. Claire, she deserved to be kidnapped. And you listen to me, you little white queen…"

He started to reach for her with his outstretched claw, but her body froze. He had read about her mutation, but it hadn't prepared him for her change. Her skin glowed brightly, as it turned to diamond.

What was worse was the smell. She didn't smell like a human. She didn't smell like any animal. There was no blood, no heat, just the cold, lifeless smell of diamond, of rock.

"Hah. See. Nothing touches me. Now I suggest you return me before I really get angry." Emma sneered.

She spent the remainder of the trip bound and gagged in the trunk.

**Stryker's Prison Cells, Three Mile Island**

Tabitha sat reading a copy of a book on military history. Wade had swiped it for her, along with bringing her a pillow and a blanket. Granted she had to listen to a 40 minute monologue on airplane food and hear way too much detail about the color of his vomit from radiation therapy, but it was worth it.

She tried to befriend the Asian-American Team X member known as "Agent Zero", but had no luck. He threatened: "Let's see how much you talk if I put a bullet in your vocal cords." She didn't speak to him after that.

Tabby heard a girl's voice coming from between the cages: "What do you mean you're not holding me for ransom? That's insulting. You can't keep me here indefinitely! I have a cotillion to attend 2 weeks from now!"

"Shove it, you frigid rich bitch!" Victor growled in response.

Tabitha pondered hiding under her blanket, and pretending to be asleep. She remembered there was no hiding from the Boogeyman. Maybe he would just pass by her.

Victor came into view. He looked the same as she'd remembered. He stared at her with those mysterious grey eyes of his.

"Long time no see," he said.

"And whose fault is that?" she replied.

"I figured you needed time to cool off first."

"Because you care so much about my welfare. New unwilling underage girlfriend? You didn't waste any time," she said.

"Do I detect a note of jealousy," he replied smirking evilly.

"It's bad enough you ruined my life, it makes it worse to just be another notch in your trophy case," she said.

Victor sniffed the air, and a frown crossed his brow.

"I smell Wade," he said.

"Do I detect a note of jealousy?" she replied.

"Look, I get paid for each hunt. I gotta make a living somehow. And I didn't do anything with her. She's not you."

"Yeah, I'm sure she's a nice girl. Not a slut like me."

"That's not what I meant. What I'm saying is, I don't have the urge to tear you apart from limb to limb."

"Wow, that's the sweetest thing anybody's ever said to me," she said sarcastically.

"I'm trying to say I feel something for you. I'm not totally sure what it is yet. But I do feel something, and something is better than nothing. If you can't tell, I'm a fighter not a lover."

"Coming from you that is the sweetest thing you've ever said. So, does this mean Stryker is going to stop cutting me up for shits and giggles and letting me out of the cage?"

"No. No one leaves the Island, but you'll be under my protection. I can pull some strings and get them to start giving you painkillers."

"Why would I trust a scorpion? I'll believe it when I see it. "

"Do you trust this?" he said, pushing a bottle of a highly controlled medication through her feeding slot.

She walked closer to him, but they were still separated by the bars.

"It's a start, but I have a better idea. I'm reading this interesting book. It's about Europe in World War II. I just finished a chapter on the Vichy French. You fought in World War II, didn't you? Do you remember them?"

"Yeah, the 'frogs,' "he said, appearing to be lost in memory.

"Yeah, the frogs…Vichy French were the traitors who collaborated with the Nazi occupiers. Kind of like mutants who hunt down our own kind."

"I don't like where this is going," he said, growling.

"Oh, don't get me wrong. See, I've been a frog all my life. I've been meek and submissive and have let guys push me around. And I'm tired of it. I've decided I want to be one of the scorpions. Team X is understaffed, and sooner or later Stryker is going to need to start recruiting. I want to join, not as a collaborator, but a member. I can just write off the torture and experimentations as an elaborate form of hazing."

"But does that mean you want to be a frog or a…oh who gives a fuck." He replied.

He stared at her, but for the first time she thought she saw pride.

"Not a bad idea. I do have some pull with the boss. But if you want out of the cage, you are gonna have to earn it," he said.

"When can I start?" she asked coyly.

Victor held the key to her cage on one of his extended claws.

"Starting now," he said grinning.

At that moment, Tabitha wasn't sure if she was a scorpion pretending to be a frog, or a frog pretending to be a scorpion.

**THE END**

**Author's Note: Tabitha Smith isn't an original character; she's an X-Men character who had a plotline involving getting too close to Sabertooth in the comics to disastrous effect. I didn't see the original source material, but I thought she would be a good fit for this story. I might do a sequel if enough people want me to.**


End file.
